Nonefelt

Photo of Extremephono's None-Felt mat. This one is their "Donut" version. The other version called "None-Felt Standard" and fits tightly over spindle pin.

Above photo is my Thorens version of the "None-Felt". It is the same material (rubbery coated foam cupboard liner available in grocery stores, department stores and home improvement stores and is sold by the roll for a few dollars. It comes in different colors, web patterns and thickness. The material Extremephono is using is 4mm thick. I'm using it here too.

How tough can it be to cut one of these yourself....? Can you use scissors...? Can you use the standard mat as a cut pattern...? Extremephono gets $35 for their "None-Felt donut mat" and $29 for their "None-Felt Standard".

The cool part is that this mat can improve the sound compared to other mats. More about that later. Thickness is the same as the standard Thorens mat. If you've already optimized your VTA for the Thorens mat, you won't need to re-tune.

One negative that becomes apparent, with use, is the surface of this mat leaves a dry somewhat tacky residue to items it comes in contact with. Including your vinyl....! The mat I have here exhibited this tendency at first. Now, after being out in the atmosphere for over one year, it leaves no trace residue that can be seen or felt.

Listening tests proved that this mat is a likely upgrade over the standard Thorens rubber mat. Background noise is quieter, subtle improvements in detail and texture of individual sounds were appreciated. Not a pronounced difference, but perceivable none the less. In their ads, Extremephono makes a comparison between the felt mat of the LP12 and their None-Felt. I've no doubt this mat will outperform felt. Preliminary tests with felt mats on the above TD160C yielded results subpar to the standard Thorens mat.

If you would like to buy this mat from Extremephono, link here.

If you would like to save some money and cut out your own, go to the grocery store and buy a roll as described above. Cheap, cheap cheap.